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61 Table 3: Components that need to be assessed during monitoring or evaluation Project component Focus for M&E Timing Hierarchy of Objectives Goal Evaluation Purpose/objectives Evaluation Outputs Monitoring Activities Monitoring Inputs Monitoring Core-Evaluation Questions Impact Evaluation Relevance Evaluation Efficiency Evaluation and Evaluation Effectiveness Evaluation Sustainability Evaluation Governance Evaluation Cross-Cutting Issues Poverty Monitoring and Evaluation Gender Monitoring and Evaluation Operations and stakeholder needs Use of resource Monitoring Quality of implementation Monitoring Stakeholders’ needs Monitoring and Evaluation Performance Questions Time and care must be given to the process of developing performance questions. Performance questions are inquiry statements that help identify the phenomenon that needs to be answered through monitoring or evaluation. Morra-Imas & Rist (2009) refer to performance questions as questions that evaluators ask in order to learn about a project, programme or policy. Performance questions guide the direction of the monitoring or evaluation process. Performance questions should mirror the baseline and objectives of the evaluation. Otherwise, performance questions should be developed based on aspirations or information needs of stakeholders and standards or criteria especially when assessing core-evaluation questions. Performance questions must be Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART). Importance of Performance Questions Performance questions help evaluators focus their monitoring and evaluation by providing a path through the data collection and writing processes. Performance questions help you to:  Formulation of an evaluation plan or proposal.  Development or adjustment of the aims and objectives.  Literature search.